Preview: Dodgers at Mariners

June 08, 2012|Reuters

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Preview: Dodgers at Mariners

As if the Seattle Mariners didn't have enough trouble with their own league, now they have to face the best team in the National League - the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mariners do have some recent success against Southern California teams on which to fall back; they took two of three at the Los Angeles Angels this week, piling up 16 runs in the victories. The Dodgers have pulled out of a funk with a four-game winning streak.

Los Angeles has embarked on its latest streak without Matt Kemp, who is out with a hamstring injury, but got great pitching in a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies and solid contributions from fill-ins like Tony Gwynn Jr. and Jerry Hairston Jr. Seattle has done most of its damage on the road. The Mariners rank in the top third in the league in scoring overall but are last in the AL with 73 runs and a .193 batting average in 22 games at Safeco Field.

Eovaldi has been a victim of poor run support in his first two starts, as Los Angeles has managed a total of three runs in the games. The 22-year old issued four walks in 5 2/3 innings at Colorado last weekend but limited the damage to two earned runs.

Millwood has considerably more experience than Eovaldi, as he will be making his 427th career start on Friday. The veteran right-hander had allowed a total of two runs over a four-start stretch from May 13-28 but lost his command last Sunday, issuing five walks and allowing four runs in four innings in a loss at Chicago. Millwood is 6-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 11 career starts against the Dodgers, including a pair of outings when he was with the Rockies last season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The teams have not faced each other since 2009, when Seattle took two of three.

2. Dodgers RF Andre Ethier broke out of an 0-for-16 slump with a two-run double on Thursday. He has not homered in 15 consecutive games.

3. Mariners ace Felix Hernandez is on schedule to start Sunday's series finale after being held out of his last turn with back problems.